Emergency-governor.



F. W. BENTLEY. EMERGENCY GOVERNOR. 11221110111101: FILED FEB.1,-1912.

Patented Apr114, 1914.

[Ni/9N tor": Fred W Be/vt/e H/sflttor/vey.

sun STATES PATENT OFFICE- rnnn w. BENTLEY, or SCELENECTADY, NEw YORK, ASSIGNOR ro GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A cqnronarion OF NEW YORK.

' nmnnenno i -sovnnnon Application filed February 1, 1912.

rt all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, Fnno W. BENTLEY, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Emergency- (lovernors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to governing devices for elastic fluid turbines and other rotating apparatus or machines, and especially to that type of governor which acts in an emergency to stop the machine when its speed rises to a. dangerous point.

Broadly speaking, the present emergency governor belongs to that class in which a body is caused. to rotatein proximity to-a iripping.inechanism connected to a butterfly or other throttle valve in the supply main or other regulator; said body being so arranged that its center of gravity is slightly out of coincidence with the axis of rotation of its driving shaft. This gives it a tendency to move outwardly from said aXis by reason of centrifugal force. Under normal conditions of operation, this tendency is opposed by a spring, but wlrenthe speed becomes abnormal, the tension of the spring is overcome by the centrifugal force acting on the mass of the body, and it moves out to a position in which it.will trip the valve closing mechanism or actuate the regulator. In the present invention, the movable body is a plunger located in a small diametrical recess in a revolving shaft of the machine. The features of novelty reside in details of construction aiming to simplify it and render it compact and durable and to permit of its being mounted in place or removed without changing the tension of the weight-opposing spring: all as will appear in the following description and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying-drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved emergency governor, and Fig. 2 is a cross section thereof.

The shaft 1 has a small diameter cylindrical hole extending diametrically through it, said hole being counter-bored for the larger portion of its length to form a recess or socketto, housedhe plunger or moving weight and itsopposing spring. The length of the plunger 2' is such that it pro- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A r. 14, 1914. Serial No. 674,703.

plunger is cylindrical and has at one end of the valve closing mechanism; said trip being arranged adjacent to the normal path of revolution of said head. The other end of the plunger is somewhat reduced in diameter in order to cooperate With and be guided by a bushing 5 which fills the smaller end of the hole in the shaft; having a flange 6 which rests on the bottom of the recess in said shaft and thus retains said bushing inplace. This bushing is made of different metal than the plunger to prevent sticking of the parts. Other features restricting this brushing will be referred to later. Immediately above said bushing a shoulder 7 is formed upon the plunger and below it is anut 7 screwed thereon and provided With a flange 8. After it. has once been screwed into place to give the initial tension to the spring (an operation taking place before the parts are mounted in the shaft) the nut is prevented from rotating backward by a cotter pin 9 driven through it and the plunger. Abutting this shoulder or flange 8 is one end of a helical compression spring 10, encircling the plunger and having its other end received by a nut 11 screwed upon the outside of asleeve 12 which fits the plunger and has an enlarged head 13 above the nut'll.

The spring should be made as small in diameter as possible to avoid reducing the section of the metal of the shaft more than is absolutely necessary. The head 13 should be slightly smaller in diameter than that of the shaft recess to compensate forinaccuracies in workmanship and to permit of its beingreadily mounted in place and removed.

The upper end of the head of the sleeve 12 abuts the under side of the head of the .a head 3 to ope-rate the trip or trigger 4 1 plunger, and is preferably countersunk to receive said head. In the upper. end of the sleeve are formed sockets 14 to receive a Wrench for turning said sleeve to adjust the tension of the spring from the outside; such rotation of the sleeve causing the nut 11 to ride along the screwthreads on said sleeve. A pin 15 on the nut shown in dotted lines, engages alongitudinal groove 16 in the Wall of the recess in the shaft to prevent said nut from turning when the sleeve is rotated.

In order-to retain'the-sleeve and its 00- operating parts in the recess, two rings 17 are slipped upon the shaft on each side of the upper end of the sleeve 12, and are pro vided with inwardly semicircular pro ectmg ribs 20 which enter a circumferential groove in the head 13 of'the sleeve just below the sockets 14. These ribs lock the sleeve in the recess in the shaft and prevent it from flying out when the shaft is revolving at the same time permitting it. to be turned.

The operation is as follows: The distribution'of Weight in the plunger is carefully regulated by drilling-a central hole 21 into the end opposite the head 3, so as to remove some-of the material and give the headed end suflicient' preponderance to enable it to operate properly under changes in centrifugal force. The tension of the spring is finally adjusted by applying a wrench to the sockets 14 and turning the sleeve .12 to move the nut 11 in or out as may be desired. Under normal conditions of operation of the turbine, the plunger will be retained in the recess by the tension of the spring acting upon the flange 8 of the nut 7 2 But if abnormal speeds occur, the action of centrifu gal force upon the unbalanced mass of the plunger will throw it outwardly vuntil it strikes and trips the trip 4 of the valveclosing or other regulating mechanism. Upon a reduction of speed, the spring. retracts the plunger into the recess. The inner end of the nut 7 striking the inner end of the sleeve 12 will limit the outward movement of the plunger.

Inthe construction shown, the spring occupies a position at or near the middle of the recessin the shaft, so that it exerts little or no centrifugal force; The nut 7 practically balances the head of the plunger, so that the unbalanced mass to be acted on by centrifugal force can be very accurately regula'ted by the-size and depthof thedrill hole 21. g

It will be noted that the nut 7 is fixed on the plunger 2 against longitudinal vmovement and that the nut 11 cooperating with,

the sleeve 18 is also normally fixed against longltudinal movement. This means that the spring 10 is held under initial compressionand hence said parts can be removed or inserted in the shaft recess as a unit without altering thetension of the spring. This is of great practical advantage in taking down or assembling the parts. This a1 rangement avoids having to compress the heavy spring 10 when assembling, and insures the reestablishment of the precise arrangement and relation of parts after havsary. By placing the spring under initial --tension by screwing the nut against'the shoulder on the plunger and prlor to mounting the parts in the shaft recess, I am able to decrease" the length of the counter-bored recess in the shaft which also means that less metal has to be cut away. By making a shoulder 7 .on the plunger, a' definite posi-' tion or seat for the nut 7 and one end of the spring 10 is'assured. The bushing 5 has a forced fit in the shaft and in addition to acting as a guide for'one end of the lunger' has the important feature of holding the rings 17 from moving angularly -oraxially .on the shaft. Iii other words, this bushing forms an anchor which definitely positions the rings, it being noted that some space is left around the cylindrical surfaces of the sleeve and between them and the corresponding surfaces of the rings to prevent pinching of the parts. The bolts 18 which unite the rings also serve to rigidly clamp them to the bushing.

My improved construction has' reat advantages m the way of adjusting t e spring 10 to insure an exact tripping speed. The parts are so designed that the center of gravity of the mass of the plunger and nut 7 is sli htly eccentric -'to the axis of the shaft, said center being located on the same side as the head. It is impractical to employ the nut 7 as an adjusting means because if its position is changedit will change the position of the center of gravity. .For example, 105 if itbe desired to increase the tripping speed and the nut 7 were threaded farther on to the plunger to increase the tension" of the spring, the center of. ravity would be changed in a manner to ncrease the eccentricity which is exactly what should not be done. On the other hand ,the' nut 11 does not move with the plunger and hence it can be moved with respect to the sleeve to change .ilO

center of gravity of the mass, in other words,

its eccentricity. A very little change in spring tension suflices for a considerable change in tripping speed; this change in position of the nut 11 on the sleeve is ob tained by turning the latter. As a result of the various improvements specified, a governor is provided which has no loose parts that can fly ofi due to centrifugal force, the restraining parts having. a high factor of safety. The governor further has the very great advantage that it can be adjusted with ease and certainty from the out side. Furthermore, the governor can be tested at the factory, removedjfrom the testing apparatus and sent to a customer for installation without reassembling of its parts or adjustment thereof, and with the definite to one member, 2'. 6., the nut 11, there is nodanger of an unskilled person getting-the apparatus out of order. In other words, my improved governor is as nearly toolproof as it is possible to make it and yet.attain the desired object.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and'desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. An emergency governor, comprising a rotary member having a diametrical recess therein, a centritugally movable plunger housed in said recess and provided with a shoulder, a nut in engagement with said plunger, a spring encircling said plunger and abutting said nut, a second nut encircling said plunger, a sleeve fitting said plunger and rotatable thereon in operative relation with said second n'ut for the purpose of adjusting said spring, and means for retaining said sleeve in said recess.

2. An emergency governor, comprising a rotary member having a diametrical recess therein, a centrifugally movable plunger housed in said recess and provided with a 5 shoulder, a nut in engagement with said plunger, a spring'encircling said plunger and abutting said nut, a second nut encircling said plunger, a sleeve rotatable on said plunger in operative relation with said second nut and adapted to adjust the tension of saidspring, and rings on said member engaging with said sleeve and retaining it in said recess.

3. An emergencv governor, comprising a j m k i 1 1 l 1 means oemg engaged and definitely fixed 1n rotary member having a diametrical recess therein, a centrifugally movable plunger housed in said recess and provided with a shoulder, a nut in engagement with said plunger, a spring abutting said nut and located at or near the middle of said recess, a sleeve having external screwthreads and rotatable on said plunger, a nut meshing with said screivthreads and abutting one end of said spring, and means for retaining said sleeve in said recess.

at. An emergency governor, comprising a rotary member having a diametrical recess therein, a centritugally movable plunger housed in said recess and provided with a ment with the n.

opposes shoulder, a nut in engagement with said plunger, alspring encircling said lunger and abutting said nut, anut engaglng the other end of said spring, a screwthreaded sleeve rotatable on said plunger and meshing with said nut, said sleeve having a circumferential groove, and. collars on 'said shaft having ribs engaging with said groove.

An emergency governor, comprising a rotary member having a diametrical recess therein, a bushing in one end of said recess,

a plunger having one end guided by said bushing, a screwthreaded sleeve surrounding the other end of said plunger and rotatable thereon, nut screwed upon the inner end of said plunger, a nut meshing with the screwthreads on said sleeve, a spring located between and abutting said nuts, a pin on the sleeve-engaging nut, a longitudinal groove in the wall of said recess to coiipec ate with said pin, a circumferential groove in. said sleeve, and rings on said shaft having ribs fittingsaidcircumferential groove.

(3. A revolving member containing a diametrical recess, in combination with a plunger, an opposing sprin a holder for the Sj'H'iIlg and plunger located in the recess, and ring means for locking the holder within the member.

7. A revolving member containing a re" extending perpendicularly to its axis, n

combination with a centrifugally 2lCtl11g.

relation with the plunger that maintains the spring under initial'compression, said holding means being located in the recess and adapted to be nserted or removed with the plun' er without clniuging the stress of the and means for securing the holding means within the revolving ineinbc 8. in cmergemxy governor, comprising a rotary member having a diametrical recess therein, a plunger located in the recess whose center of gravity is eccentrically disposed to 'e the axis of the member, a spring opposing the outward movement of the plunger, a sleeve'eiurircling the plunger, and means that serve to retain the spring in place and limit the outward movement of the plunger, said plunger located in the recess which moves radially, a coiled compression spring which the outward plunger and is under initial tension, a nut :carried by the plunger and forming one i abutment for the spring, the center of gravot the plunger and nut being eccentrieally disposed to the axis of the member,

ich is held againsflmovea second nut n anger and serves as the other abutment for the spring, and means movement of the for changing the position of the second nut.

to change the tripping speed of the plunger Without altering the position of said center of gravity. 10. An emergency governor, comprising a rotary member having a diametrical recess therein, a plunger located in the recess that tends to move outwardly under the action of centrifugal force, a spring opposing this ac tion, a pair of nuts that form abutments for the spring, one of said nuts being carried by the plunger and the other by said melnber, the center of gravity of the mass of the plunger and its -nut being located eccentrically to the axis of the member, and means for moving the nut carried by the member to change the tension of the spring Without changing the position of the center of grave ity of said mass.

, 11. An emergency governor, comprising a rotary member having a diametrical recess thereima )lunger located in the reness that tends to in ve outwardly under the {Potion of 'centrifugal-i'force, a spring opposingthis act-ion, a holder that is carried by and rotates with the member, a pair of nuts between which the spring is located and which hold the same under initial tension, one of said nuts being mounted on the plunger, the center of gravity of the mass of'the plunger and 12. An emergency governor, comprising a.

rotary member having a diametrical recess therein, a shouldered plunger located in the recess, a nut on the plunger that is seated 'on the shoulder, the center of gravity of the mass of the plunger and nut being slightly eccentric to t e axis of the member, a screwthreaded sleeve surrounding the plunger whose lnner end acts as a stop for the outward movement of the plunger by engaging the nut, a second nut that is carried by the sleeve, a coiled compression spring that is held under initial tension between the nuts, 21 means for holding the sleeve against radial movement, and means for adjustin the second nut'to change the tension of t e spring Without changing the center of gravity of said mass. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day of January, 1912.

' FRED W. BENTLEY. Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN Onronn. 

